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| Mehsa Mehdili |
In an interview with Voice of America, political analyst Mehsa Mehdili discussed the recent Turkish-Arab solidarity that has been a topic in Iran’s political scene, as well as the slogan "freedom, justice, national government" heard in the streets of Tabriz.
In mid-July, massive protests erupted in the areas of Iran where Arabs live due to water shortages, and many protesters were killed. During those days, Turkish activists distributed leaflets in Iranian Azerbaijan, calling on the population to join the protests in support of the Arab community. On July 24, during protests in Tabriz, slogans such as "freedom, justice, national government," "Azerbaijan, Ahvaz, unity, unity," and "Help, help, I am a Turk" were shouted.
Mehsa Mehdili believes that the Arab protests against the water shortage were a manifestation of opposition to Iran's anti-Arab policies.
"I think the issue of water scarcity was actually a reflection of the central government’s anti-Arab policies and its Arab hostility. The water problem, water contamination, and lack of clean drinking water in the region acted as a symbol leading to these protests. The Ahvaz region is very rich. In fact, Iran’s largest financial resources come from this region. There is a general water shortage problem, but also the fact that the central government’s discrimination and hostility have worsened this problem," she says.
The political analyst emphasizes that the protests in Iranian Azerbaijan and Ahvaz are fundamentally the same.
"Although centralist movements in Iran have tried to merge the movements of non-Persian nations within themselves, they have failed to do so. The protests in Ahvaz and Azerbaijan are essentially the same. Both are against discrimination, ethnic oppression, being disregarded, forced assimilation, economic plunder, and destruction."
According to Mehdili, "Azerbaijan’s support for Ahvaz protests, or raising its voice alongside them, shows that ethnic and national discrimination and oppression are now felt and understood across all classes and segments. People are aware of this and know what they are standing against. Azerbaijan and Ahvaz have faced the same oppression and stood together on the same front. This is a huge success. They gave a lesson to the centralist movements in terms of democracy. They taught a lesson in democracy."
Regarding the slogan "freedom, justice, national government" heard in the streets of Tabriz, Mehsa Mehdili adds, "Freedom, justice, national government; our people are gradually gaining awareness of these three principles. This slogan is the call of a society that is mature, knows what it wants, can speak for the future, and knows how to face itself, its problems, and the forces opposing it. It is a slogan based on human rights and human values. Our people want freedom, they want justice, and they believe that they will achieve this only with their own hands, with their own strength, the power of their arms and their minds."
Link to the original interview in Turkish on the Azerbaijani section of Voice of America:
Məhsa Mehdili: Xalqımız azadlıq və ədalət istəyir və bunu öz gücü ilə əldə edəcəyinə inanır